Chattanooga: Healthy fun on the cheap

As the school year wraps up and summer vacation begins, Chattanooga parents may be on the prowl for healthy, affordable activities to keep their children busy.

The creators of a new Web site, Freeways to Exercise, have assembled suggestions for free nearby recreation, geared toward third- to fifth-graders. The site, a project of the Leadership Chattanooga program, also includes research about obesity in Tennessee and around the nation.

“We thought the best thing to do was to create a clearinghouse of things that were already available — free, easily accessible (activities) in our community,” said one of the site’s creators, Kasey Decosimo, assessment and planning program manager with the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department.

“We wanted to do something that promoted Chattanooga and promoted physical activity, and something that would have a long shelf life,” she said.

The Freeways to Exercise site offers tips, tools and information on the importance of activity for children. The site highlights options such as local bike routes and hiking trails, as well as area playgrounds, including the Riverview Park and Jefferson Playground at Jefferson Street and E. 17th Street.

In Tennessee, the 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that 35 percent of youth were either obese or at risk of becoming overweight. Forty percent of U.S. children between 5 and 8 years old are obese or have high blood pressure or cholesterol levels, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The “Freeways” site was created by a group of eight Chattanoogans who participated in the Leadership Chattanooga program, which wrapped up this month.

Leadership Chattanooga, a 10-month program of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, identifies community members who have potential as community leaders and develops their leadership skills. Participants are split into teams to create a community-centered project emphasizing teamwork, said program coordinator Diane Parks, who also is director of leadership and community development for the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce.

“I think the benefit to the community is for people to be better leaders overall and also within their companies and within boards and organizations in the Chattanooga area,” Ms. Parks said.

Getting into the habit of being active is imperative for children to avoid obesity-related problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure later in life, said another one of the site’s creators, Aaron Mills, operations manager with BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee.

The opportunities for activity are all around, he said.

“A lot of things are right up under our nose that we kind of take for granted because I think Xbox and PlayStation have blurred our vision, if you will,” he said.